Full Measure Education White Paper Reveals How College Admissions Can Thrive by Inclusion of UGC in Campus Tours

WASHINGTON, July 19, 2022 (Newswire.com) - To help higher education admissions and marketing teams ensure impactful campus visits, Full Measure Education released a new white paper: User-Generated Content Trends Colleges and Universities Need to Know to Improve Tours. The resource shares six data-backed reasons for leveraging UGC in tours, expert guidance for getting started, and real-life examples from institutions large and small. 

"Colleges and universities know the ongoing importance of tours in helping students decide where to apply and enroll, but the reality is many of these tours aren't doing enough to create a truly impactful experience that resonates with all visitors," said Greg Davies, founder and CEO of Full Measure. "Prospective students, especially Gen Z, want to understand what it'd really be like for them to live, work, and be part of that institution. By including UGC in tours, students can easily access that information when and where it really counts."

A recent Student Voice survey by Inside Higher Ed and College Pulse found undergraduate students want virtual tours to include messages from enrolled students (43%) and faculty (33%). However, these messages — a form of UGC — were often absent. Only 22% of undergraduate students said current student messages were included in one of their virtual tours, and only 23% said faculty messages were included. 

The white paper, which pulls from numerous resources, also explores: 

• The importance of UGC in tours and where institutions should focus their efforts.
• Practical ideas for gathering and incorporating UGC, including how colleges and universities of various sizes are doing it.
• How to save internal teams time and money with strategies that can be implemented right away.

"It's easy to underestimate the value of UGC in tours — and to overestimate the time, cost, and energy it takes to get started," said Kyle Freelander, Head of Content at Full Measure. "Our new white paper breaks down the importance of this initiative, providing practical guidance to help institutions take action and drive real results." 

Amid increased competition for fewer college-bound students, Freelander notes UGC offers institutions a way to highlight what makes their college or university unique. 

National Student Clearinghouse Research Center found there were 1.3 million fewer postsecondary students in spring 2022 than in spring 2020. Compounding the issue, studies also suggest students are applying to an increasing number of institutions. The recent Student Voice survey found that 40% of undergraduate students planning to graduate in 2025 applied to 6-10 institutions. 

"With competition intensifying, it's more important than ever for colleges and universities to provide an authentic view of what it's like to be a student there," said Davies. "Paired with the continued popularity of campus visits and the clear appetite for hearing what current students and others have to say about an institution, putting UGC in tours is a no-brainer." 

The white paper can be downloaded for free at https://go.fullmeasure.io/en/user-generated-content-trends-white-paper.

About Full Measure Education

Headquartered in Washington, DC, Full Measure Education partners with more than 500 higher education institutions across the nation to employ a mobile-first approach to improving the student journey — from a student's initial interest in an institution and touring campus to getting accepted all the way through to graduation and beyond. To date, Full Measure has delivered more than 30 million mobile interactions, 12 million moments of social engagement, and 516,000 campus tours. They've also helped celebrate over a million newly admitted students at partner institutions, with approximately one in four students learning about their college acceptance via Full Measure's platform in 2021. Learn more at www.fullmeasure.io.

Source: Full Measure Education